Royals And Loyals
by Trivette Lover Heather
Summary: Individual Series of Tags to the Season Eight Episode, Royals and Loyals.
1. Can't Sleep

AN: This episode has landed amidst the top Gabby episodes ever! Here is the first tag! More to come soon! If there will be any romance tags, they will be notated :). Enjoy!

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_**Abby**__: I was watching a documentary which is what I do when I couldn't sleep, which is like every night…_

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"Not sleeping…again?"

Abby was buzzing from her most recent Caf Pow and had to think for a minute. "Do you download every word I say?"

"I have a filter."

"So you pick up words like…sleep…boyfriend…love…stuff like that?"

"Among others."

"What others?"

His glare brought her focus back to his original reason for coming down there.

She shrugged slowly. "Its no big deal…I'm learning a ton. The other night I watched a documentary on hum back whales…did you know that during mating season, groups of two to twenty male whales fight over one female? Interesting huh?"

"Not really."

"Um, seriously?"

His glare intensified a bit.

"Okay okay…look, I tried some sleeping pills, going decaf…remember?"

"I remember."

"It didn't work."

"I've noticed." He examined her. "What can I do?"

"Singing me a lullaby always worked when I was little?"

"Not really my area."

"Then I can stick to the documentaries…tonight is on wolves."

He didn't smile. "Cant be good for ya Abs."

"Potato, Potatoe." She gauged his epxression. "Building a boat…learning about hump back whales…you're not exactly a poster boy for a full night's sleep."

"So this is about me now?"

"If the shoe fits." She smiled at him, hoping to ease the sudden tension that arose.

"So since I don't sleep…you don't have to?"

"You said it, not me." She hugged him quickly and retreated to her desk to get her things. "If you want to take a break from the wood working insomnia…tonight's episode is supposed to be ground breaking."

He followed her into the elevator and thought for a moment. "Did you have a favorite?"

"Favorite?" She thought for a second before realizing what he'd meant. "Twinkle little star…I know, corny."

"No," Gibbs shook his head. "I like that one too."

"Enough to sing it to me tonight?"

He let his glare speak for itself and she had to smile.

"Wolves it is then…"


	2. Contents Priceless

_**Ziva**__: If and when you meet my friend and I emphasize if…what will you say?_

_**Tony**__: Be careful. Um, handle with care. Contents priceless. _

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AN: Minor Tiva

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McGee, Ducky, Abby and even the garage parking attendant cared to notice how civil and almost "nice" they were being to each other. Gibbs seemed to be the only one oblivious, or who didn't feel the need to address it.

"It's not just weird weird…it's super weird. Like Gibbs saying goodbye at the end of a phone call, weird."

The camp fire, minus Tony and Ziva was taking place in the newly deemed "Duck pond."

"Perhaps it is a good thing. Their constant bickering was getting quite…"

"Normal." Abby interrupted. "If they don't aggravate each other, then before you know it Gibbs will be buying everyone lunch, McGee will be the comic relief and I'll be…I don't even want to think about what I'll be…"

Tim didn't address her opinion on him and chose to focus on the situation. "It's only been a few days…maybe they'll get sick of it or maybe…" He thought for a second. "Maybe they're just doing it to mess with us?"

Palmer agreed. "That sounds more likely than…"

The stare from Abby and McGee quieted him, but Ducky was not ignorant.

"Than them seeing each other?" The ME stifled a laugh. "I was born at night, but not last night."

Abby spoke next. "So…what do we do now?"

But the only answer she got was silence.

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Tony was at the corner of Ziva's desk when Gibbs entered the bull pen in his usual fashion.

"You two done?"

Tony was up and at his desk before Gibbs finished his request. "We were just…"

"Getting us a lead on the case?" He quieted him before he could respond. "Get to work."

"Getting to work boss."

It wasn't until it was time to head home that night, that Gibbs choose to address it a second time.

He noticed them preparing to leave together and called his Agent back.

"DiNozzo, need ya here."

"But boss…" He caught Gibbs glare and sulked back to his desk. "No place I'd rather be."

Ziva wished her good nights and left moments later.

"So uh, anything particular you need me working on?"

Gibbs made his over to his Agents desk and did what he always did in conversations like this.

Changed the subject.

"You two pick a date?"

"Boss?"

"Spare me DiNozzo. You two couldn't be nicer to each other if ya tried…"

"So, us getting along means we're together…boss you should know better than anyone that the honeymoon period doesn't last…" he cringed. "Sorry, I was gonna try and stop those jokes."

"How about you stop trying to fool me…"

Tony thought for a moment. "Should have known better huh?"

"Ya think?"

"So this mean I'm fired?"

"Should you be?"

"Well I don t know…you never really give exact consequences for rule breaking. Not that I blame you, it's not like you would expect people to break 'em…"

Gibbs didn't find his rant humorous and changed his expression to a solemn one. "Rules are there for a reason."

And with that he moved towards the back of the bull pen and walked away. Tony thought for a moment before following after him.

"Boss, wait."

Gibbs turned around slowly but said nothing.

"Just tell me what you want me to do, I'll do it."

"Not up to me."

"Everything else is."

Gibbs closed the distance between them in an instant. "Not this."

Tony watched him walk away a second time. "You think I'm making a mistake?"

"Do you?"

He shook his head. "I wont let it affect the team."

"It already has…" Gibbs watched his expression change and left him with that to ponder.

He sat at his desk and stared at the empty one in front of him for hours. He remembered everything from Kate to his recent bout with Gibbs, and took his own advice.

Be careful.

Handle with care.

Contents… priceless.


	3. Never A Good Sign

_**Gibbs:**__ Good work. _

_**Tony:**__ Complimenting us, never a good sign. _

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_AN: Humor meant here, nothing too serious :)

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"So he said good work…he says that to me all the time. And if I'm lucky I get a hug and kiss too." She thought for a moment. "He didn't kiss you did he?"

Tony shook his head. "Thankfully no, but if he keeps this up, who knows what could happen."

"Do you hear yourself? You're actually complaining that Gibbs gave you a compliment…you should be happy."

"Happy? First he lets those interns on the team, now this…I'm telling ya. Somethings up."

"You're overreacting."

"Maybe, but I prefer to err on the side of caution."

"He isn't a problem needing a solution Tony…he's a person. Sure, maybe a little nicer person, but he's still a person."

"Gibbs isn't a person."

"Um…"

"He's Gibbs."

Abby nodded towards him. "Well put."

"Look, I care too much to let him keep complimenting us…I'm gonna get to the bottom of this."

She watched him start to walk out before calling after him. "Are you gonna ask him about it?"

"I'm not suicidal."

"Then what are ya gonna do?"

"I'm a trained observer. I'm going to…observe."

"For how long?"

"However long it takes."

"To figure out why he's being nice…"

"Before someone gets hurts." A determined look fell on his face before he retreated to the elevator and was gone.

Abby wasn't sure who she was more concerned for, Tony or Gibbs. But one thing was for sure, she was starting to think she was becoming the sane one around here. ..


End file.
